When they finally stood up, Daniel’s eyes were shining. ‘That was great fun, Daddy. Can we go sledging after we get home?’
I saw tears in Danny’s eyes as he gazed at his son. Then he smiled as he put his arm around his shoulder. He said cheerfully, ‘Yes, we can and we’ll also make a huge snowman and use your Grandad’s golfing hat and his old pipe.’
Later, I was to remember that day and bless the sudden snowstorm for breaking the stalemate between father and son. And I knew Maddie and her parents thought the same.
17
It was the middle of March and it was still snowing. The streets were thick with brown, wet slush and there were mini mountains of dirty snow piled up at the kerbs. Even the children who had initially greeted the snow with joyful exuberance were now also tired of the relentless heavy snow that fell from the sky, endlessly.
Danny had opened his shop at the beginning of the year and, after a slow start, it was now beginning to get more trade. People commented on his bright cheery shop and its helpful owner but he thought the growing trade came mainly from the closures of two other small grocer’s shops further up the Hawkhill. The customers from these shops changed their ration books to Danny’s shop which helped him increase his takings.
He was quite content to let his business grow slowly but steadily because, as he had said, once the rationing was over, people would be desperate to buy all the longed-for items that had been denied them during the war years.
Still, during the long, dark, snowy days of March, we were all struggling to survive. Because of the icy cold weather, the coalmen couldn’t get the coal out of the railway yards and there was now a shortage of fuel which added to the other shortages and made life difficult.
Lily and I were worried about Granny. She hadn’t seen her coalman for three weeks. One night, during a blizzard, we carried over some of our coal to the Overgate to make sure she had a small fire. Her kitchen wasn’t very warm but she had gone to bed with a hot-water bottle and she was sitting up reading her book. We had filled two message bags with coal and we deposited it in the coal scuttle.
‘We’ll bring over some coal every night, Granny, just to make sure you have a fire every day,’ I said.
Granny was worried. ‘But what about yourselves? Have you got enough?’
We assured her we had which wasn’t the truth but we could also go to bed and snuggle up together in our bed settee.
Meanwhile, Connie was hardly ever in the shop during this wintry weather and I was running it myself which, I had to admit, I liked. I missed her company but I still had Joe every morning who was, as usual, the oracle.
‘I see the farmers can’t dig the tatties and neeps from the ground because it’s frozen. There’s going to be a shortage because of this awful weather.’ He gazed morosely through the window at the curtain of snow that fell from a leaden sky.
‘And nobody has any coal. I’m burning all my dross but, when that’s finished, there’s nothing left. We’ll all freeze to death and what does this government say about it? Damn little.’
I tried not to encourage him to get on to the subject of the government. It was a well-known fact that he didn’t support any of the political parties but that didn’t stop him being scathing about whoever was in power. He had been particularly venomous about the Labour Party landslide the previous year.
‘I see Manny Shinwell has nationalised the coal mines and now we can’t get any coal from the railway yards. Bloody disgrace!’ he said, rolling up a cigarette in his little Rizla machine before giving it a huge lick to stick it down.
I was always fascinated by his huge tongue and how delicately he could lick the strip of glue on the cigarette paper.
‘Never mind, Joe,’ I said, ‘life can only get better.’
He gave me a sour look. Optimists were people he disliked. Better to always look on the gloomy side of life and you would never be disappointed was his motto.
Well, I thought to myself, maybe he’s right. We’ll either freeze to death or starve. Potatoes and turnips were the great fillers in our diet as was bread which was also rationed. Yet how much better it was to smile and hope the worst was over. We had survived the war and the Margot affair although things were still strained in the Pringle marriage – a least that was the story according to Dad. Danny and Maddie kept a discreet silence about the whole sorry episode.
‘Put on a cheery face,’ I told Joe.
He gave me a doleful look and pointed with a large, bony hand towards the outside world. ‘Cheery? What is there to be cheery about?’ He sounded shocked by my frivolous request.
‘Well, I like to look on the cheery side,’ I said, with as much conviction as I could muster.
A week later, I was to remember my words and was grateful I hadn’t offered to eat them at the time. Kathleen dropped her bombshell and cheery faces were thin on the ground. Danny was the one to break the news to Granny, Lily and me after Kit and George had sent an urgent summons to him to come to see them at Lochee.
‘Kathleen is taking Kitty and going away to live in London,’ he said, as we sat at Granny’s meagre fire. ‘She’s going to live with a man called Chris Portland who’s the son of the photographer she worked for.’
I gasped and Danny gave me a sharp look. ‘You knew about this, didn’t you, Ann?’
I had to admit I did but I added, ‘I never thought she would go and live with him in London.’ And that was the truth.
‘Well, she leaves at the end of this week and nobody but us and Kit’s family know about it so keep it quiet. Kathleen is frightened that if Sammy gets to hear about her plans he’ll stop her.’
‘What does Kit think about her running away like this to live with another man, Danny?’ I asked. I was as shocked as the family and I couldn’t ever recall anybody doing such a drastic thing.
Danny looked sad. ‘She doesn’t like it at all and neither does her father but Kathleen has made her mind up and that’s that.’ He looked at me with his direct kind of stare and I realised anew how alike he and Kathleen were in looks. ‘She’s coming to see you tomorrow night. She wants to explain her actions and her side of the story.’
After he left, Granny said it was all very sad. ‘She should never have married Sammy. That was her biggest mistake but, unlike most women who make the same mistake, she’s not putting up with it. I have to say she’s either very brave or terribly stupid to run away like this.’
Amen, I thought.
Lily was agog at this news – this strange adult world that she was on the verge of entering. I warned her to keep quiet but I knew she wouldn’t say a word.
Kathleen appeared the following evening at Roseangle. She looked like a snowman when I answered the door and I felt terrible about the meagre fire but no doubt it would have been the same at Lochee. Snowflakes glittered on her red hair and her cheeks were glowing – either from the weather or love, it was difficult to say. She glanced at Lily, unsure about discussing personal matters in front of her. Lily noticed this and went into the bedroom to do her homework. A move I felt sorry for because we never used that room and it was freezing cold in there.
Kathleen came right to the point at once. ‘Chris has asked me to move in with him at his flat in London, Ann. I’m going and I’m taking Kitty with me.’
I was still unsure what to say but it didn’t really matter what I said as she had made up her mind weeks ago. Still, I had to say it. ‘Do you think that’s wise, Kathleen? I mean do you really know him that well?’
She shook her head and became thoughtful. ‘How well do we ever know anyone, Ann? You have to take your chances in life, I think. Make up your mind, grab your opportunities and make the decision.’
‘But what about Sammy? Will he not want to see Kitty? He’s going to make an awful fuss when he finds out.’
For the first time that evening, she laughed. ‘Well, I’ll be hundreds of miles away so it’ll not matter.’ She became serious again. ‘If there’s one thing this war has taught me
, it is that life’s too short to be miserable all the time. Every minute I spend with Chris is wonderful and we get on so well together. He also adores Kitty so there’s no problem there. Since we got married, I haven’t spent one happy moment with Sammy – not one. If I told you that, would you believe me?’
I nodded.
‘I don’t want the Malloys to know where I am because they will make Mr Portland’s life a misery and he has a successful business to run. But he knows all about us and our decision and he’s fine about it. But, there again, he’s seen a lot of the world and how other folk live. He says lives shouldn’t be lived in precise wee boxes that turn into prisons – unlike Sammy who thinks he can go off to the pub every night then come home and knock me about and yet expect my undying love.’
There was nothing I could say. In private, I agreed with her but it was a very big step to take – to leave your husband and go and live with another man in a city that had been badly bombed as well. I told her this.
‘As I said earlier, Ann, Chris’s flat hasn’t been damaged and we’ll live there for the time being. Chris has been offered a job with a newspaper as a photographer and he’s thinking of accepting. He says his days of roaming around the world are over and it’s time to settle down.’
She stood up to go and at the door I gave her a big hug.
She said, ‘Will you come to the station on Friday night, Ann, to see me and Kitty off?’
I promised we would. Lily, I knew, would want to be there.
It was blowing another blizzard on the Friday night but this one was whipped up by a wild cold wind that blew the snow into deep drifts across the pavements. The railway station was bleak on that snowy night and we all felt as grey as the weather. Granny had stayed at home but she had said her goodbyes to Kathleen in a letter.
When Lily and I arrived, Danny, Maddie, George and Patty were all standing by Kathleen’s side and Kit was holding Kitty’s hand. Kit was tearful and Kathleen was trying to cheer her up. ‘London is not that far away, Mum. You and Dad can always come for a holiday in the summer and, once this all blows over, I’ll bring Kitty and Chris up to see you.’
Kit went white. ‘Oh, the Malloys will be wild when they find out, Kathleen. Maggie will go mental and we’ve no idea how Sammy and his father will react.’
Kathleen said nothing but, there again, what could she say? Kit was correct in her assumption of how the Malloys would react to her going.
Kit went on, ‘Ma sends her love, as do Belle and Lizzie. They didn’t want to come and say cheerio to you as they said it would be too upsetting.’
We then heard a voice announce the imminent arrival of the London train and slowly it steamed into the station. Kitty was almost jumping with excitement, poor wee lass. It was all a big adventure for her but she wouldn’t have to live with the aftermath should this romantic venture go wrong.
Kathleen’s face, however, was glowing and I prayed it would all end happily for them all. Maddie and Danny were saying their goodbyes and Kathleen was issuing invitations to us all to come and visit her in the far distant future.
It was when Danny said his goodbye to her that she started to cry. He held her close and wiped her eyes with a spotless white handkerchief. ‘You’ll be fine, Kathleen, but just remember you always have us all to fall back on if things don’t go the way you planned them.’
She smiled through tearful eyes. ‘Thanks, Danny – and you too, Maddie.’
George picked up her large suitcase and a small bag which held sandwiches and drinks for the journey.
Kathleen took my hand. ‘You’re the only one apart from Danny who understands this move, Ann.’
I nodded. ‘Just you grab your dream when you get it, Kathleen, and, if it doesn’t turn out the way you hoped, then at least you’ve tried. You’re on your way to a new life and, honestly, I envy you. You’re not a stick-in-the-mud like me.’
She gave me a strange look. ‘Oh, you’re never that, Ann. Too many folk depend on you – believe me.’
I said, ‘Your mum and dad will get the brunt of the Malloys’ anger but I’ll help out as much as I can and so will Danny.’ I handed over Granny’s letter. ‘Just a few words from Granny.’
Then, just as she was about to step into the carriage, she whispered in my ear, ‘Sammy has a secret but it’ll soon come out, Ann. Mum will have no bother with the Malloys later on – maybe to start with but not later on.’
The train began to steam out of the station and our little group stood silent as it disappeared into the dark night and out of our lives.
Kit was crying again but no one tried to stop her tears. After all, she had just said goodbye to her daughter and grandchild and there was no guarantee when she would see them again.
Danny suggested we go into the railway buffet – to gather our thoughts together, he said. The place was dismal but it was reasonably warm. The windows were steamed up with condensation but that didn’t matter because the weather outside was foul.
The tea was weak and tepid but it seemed to cheer Kit up. ‘Kathleen’s right – London’s not that far away and we can save up and maybe go in the summer to see them. I’ve never met this Chris. Have you, Ann?’
All eyes turned on me. ‘No, but I’ve seen his photo.’
Everyone seemed to give a collective sigh and I knew we were all hoping everything would turn out fine for this new venture.
After the tea, we all set off for home. Lily and I waited at the tram stop with the Ryans. Danny also wanted to wait but Kit said to take Maddie home and out of the rotten weather. She was certainly looking tired but she was six months pregnant now and it showed. She was much larger this time than with Daniel but she joked it was going to be a much bigger baby.
I think Kit was hoping I could shed some light on Chris and his character but I couldn’t. I only had a scant knowledge of the man and, anyway, our opinions didn’t count with Kathleen. She was in love and that was the end of the story.
The snow was still falling and we were grateful to see the Lochee tram come into sight, looking like an oasis of warmth and light on this atrocious evening.
As they boarded the tram, Kit said, ‘Come and see us next Sunday. Danny and Maddie have promised to come as well. Maybe we’ll have some word from Kathleen by then – just a postcard to say how she’s settling in.’ Her voice trailed off and tears weren’t very far away. Patty took her arm and we waved as the tram set off.
When we got back home, Lily and I jumped into the bed settee with our two hot-water bottles and two cups of piping-hot cocoa.
Lily thought it was all so romantic – young lovers running away together to live out their dream in the glowing sunset.
I didn’t tell her that those scenes were usually based on Hollywood films and were pure fantasy. Still, maybe Kathleen and Chris would have a Hollywood-style life …
I fell asleep and dreamed of the Malloys, their faces red with rage. When I woke up, I remembered Kathleen’s words. What secret did Sammy harbour? And why was Kathleen whispering to me?
I was dreading our visit the following Sunday. I imagined an irate collection of Malloys, old and young, but, when we arrived, all was peaceful.
Kit couldn’t believe it. ‘It’s been like this since last Friday. I hope this is not a false calm.’
Danny and Maddie were as surprised as Kit and so were we. Danny laughed. ‘I thought Sammy would be here, shouting and threatening everybody in sight.’
I was glad to have this chat with him. I wanted to ask him if he had heard anything from Ma Ryan on Kathleen’s decision to leave. He said he hadn’t but we all knew Ma’s reluctance to use her psychic powers on her own family.
‘Ma told me a while ago that I was in danger, Danny. She said I had to watch my step and it was just like the time when she gave me the warning about the Ferry. Still, I think the danger is over now.’
He looked alarmed.
‘I almost fell from a tramcar on the same day she warned me so I reckon that was why I had
to watch my step.’
He looked worried. ‘What a lot of trouble we’re having just now, Ann – first it was Margot and now it’s Kathleen. Let’s hope that’s the end of it.’
I echoed this sentiment. Things might be quiet today but the storm would erupt sooner or later and Kit and George would be in the front line – of that I was sure. I mentally envisaged Maggie on the warpath and it wasn’t a pleasant thought. Still, we could all breathe a sigh of relief and enjoy today and our time together.
It was when we were on our way home that Maddie and Danny brought up the subject of the flat at Roseangle. I immediately said we could leave in a couple of days but that wasn’t the plan they said.
‘We were thinking of selling the flat Ann and buying a house with a garden. It would be much better for Daniel and the new baby,’ said Maddie.
My heart sank at the thought of handing the flat over to a stranger.
Maddie went on, ‘Danny and I were wondering if you would like to buy it from us?’
I almost collapsed with amazement. ‘Buy a house Maddie? I couldn’t afford it.’
Danny said, ‘We’ve spoken to Maddie’s dad and, if you go to see him this week, then he’ll give you some good advice.’
Lily hadn’t come with us. She had stayed with Dad and Rosie and Jay and I didn’t want her to find out about this – at least not for the time being. She would be thrilled if she thought the flat could be ours but how could I possibly buy it? I didn’t want to raise her hopes only to dash them when I discovered I couldn’t afford it.
Danny and Maddie got off the tram before me and I spent the rest of the journey thinking about the offer. There was no way I could afford it, I thought. I was halfway up the Hilltown to pick Lily up when I decided there was no harm in going to see Mr Pringle. He would obviously put me right about the exorbitant costs of buying a house.
However, the next morning I got such a lovely surprise that I forgot about our recent worries or buying a house. When the three girls came into the shop for their cigarettes and sweets, Amy and Sylvia were unusually quiet. Joe even remarked on it.
The Sun Will Shine Tomorrow Page 25
